Insulinlike Growth Factor Promising for Rare Autism Type
Insulinlike growth factor–1 (IGF-1) is safe, effective, and significantly improves social withdrawal in children with a rare type of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but may also have treatment implications for other ASDs, early research suggests. Known as Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), it affects about 1200 individuals worldwide. A treatment for this rare form of autism could have relevance for the treatment of other ASDs, the study's lead author, Alexander Kolevzon, MD, clinical director, Seaver Autism Center, and associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, told Medscape Medical News. "Studies have already shown that IGF-1 is somewhat effective in Rett syndrome, and now it's been shown to be somewhat effective in PMS," he said.
-Dr. Alexander Kolevzon, Assoicate Professor, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Clinical Director, Seaver Autism Center at Mount Sinai